Chapter 21: Doubts Multiply

Upon learning that Aunt Zhang wanted to raise the rent, Chang Yu immediately decided not to renew his lease with her. Renting from such a greedy landlord meant he would always have to swallow his grievances. With a cold expression, Chang Yu agreed to Aunt Zhang’s two-day deadline, which meant he had to move out within forty-eight hours.

Two days was far too rushed for him—not because he had much luggage or many personal belongings that would make the move cumbersome. In fact, his possessions were pitifully few; he could finish moving in less than an hour. The real difficulty lay in finding a new place that truly satisfied him.

“I have to work both days—where will I find time to visit properties through an agent?” Chang Yu muttered in distress, rubbing his head. Real estate agencies operated during the day and closed at night, just like his job. That meant when he was at work, so were they; when he was off, they were closed too. Without an agent’s help, even if he wanted to look for a place, he had no way of finding out about suitable listings!

Besides, even with an agent’s help, finding the right place in just two days was nearly impossible. Anyone who’s ever rented knows how hard it is to find a truly satisfactory home. It could easily take a week of searching without success.

“Maybe I should ask Brother Wang? He’s a landlord with lots of properties—maybe he can help me out.” After pondering for a long time, Chang Yu finally made up his mind and, swallowing his pride, dialed Fat Wang’s number.

The call connected quickly, and Wang’s distinctive voice rang out. “Hey, Xiao Yu! What’s going on?”

“Brother Wang, I need a favor. I really have no other options, so I’m coming to you,” Chang Yu said with some resignation.

“If you need my help, just say the word. Don’t be shy. With our friendship, I’ll do everything I can for you,” Wang replied warmly.

“Well, here’s the thing…” Chang Yu explained everything that had happened with Aunt Zhang that day, then added, “Brother Wang, I know you own quite a few properties in the city. I was wondering if you have any vacant apartments that you could rent to me.”

After hearing Chang Yu’s tale of woe, Fat Wang’s anger flared. “That landlord of yours is just a money-grubbing miser. It’s good you’re not staying there. Dealing with someone that greedy, you’ll always end up on the losing side!

“I still have a few vacant apartments. The locations and renovations are all pretty good. If you want one, you’re welcome anytime, little brother!”

Chang Yu’s eyes lit up, a feeling of long-awaited relief washing over him. “Brother Wang, what’s the rent for those apartments?”

Wang replied, “The cheapest is twenty-five hundred a month.”

“Two... two thousand five hundred? That’s expensive!” Chang Yu was taken aback by the price. His monthly salary was only two thousand; he couldn’t possibly afford a place at twenty-five hundred a month. That was more than triple what he was paying now!

Even over the phone, Chang Yu’s brows knitted in distress as he considered backing out.

“People nowadays care about quality living, so all my properties are well-renovated. Naturally, the price is higher,” Wang explained, reading Chang Yu’s thoughts. “Xiao Yu, I know your situation. You don’t earn much, and it’s not easy living alone in this city.”

Wang burst out laughing. “Tell you what: after work tomorrow, I’ll take you to see the apartments. Whichever you like, you can stay in. Don’t mention money—your brother Wang won’t charge you a cent!”

A warmth pricked at the corners of Chang Yu’s eyes. In this cold city, Wang was one of the few people who made him feel the warmth of human kindness.

“Brother Wang, I appreciate your kindness, but I really can’t accept that,” Chang Yu refused outright.

“I know you’re not short of money. Maybe, to you, the rent is trivial. You might not care about it, but I can’t just take advantage of you like that. I may be poor, but I’m not the kind of person who doesn’t know right from wrong. Living in your place without paying rent isn’t what a good friend should do.”

Chang Yu’s words left Wang silent for a moment. In truth, he really didn’t care about the money—it wasn’t even pocket change to him. Whether Chang Yu paid or not made no difference. But, out of respect for Chang Yu’s pride, he finally compromised:

“How about this? Stay at my place for a while. Once you find a suitable apartment, you can move out. You just need somewhere to stay for now, right? My place is empty anyway—might as well let you use it.”

This was a reasonable solution. Chang Yu wouldn’t owe too much in the way of favors, and with his urgent need to move out, he didn’t protest. “That’s a good idea, Brother Wang. Thank you!”

After hanging up, Chang Yu finally felt the weight in his heart lift. After all the turmoil, he realized it was late—time for his nightly routine. As usual, he took out his phone and watched a horror film, feeling an unexplainable sense of anticipation.

...

Standing in a valley filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, Chang Yu realized he was in the Poria Valley.

“Sigh... I thought I’d see the young lady from the horror movie in my dream again tonight.” It wasn’t that he wanted anything indecent to happen—he just wanted to talk to her about life and ideals. He felt a strange sense of loss. Oddly, he was in the place he’d longed to visit the most, yet felt no joy at all. Previously, this was exactly where he most wanted to go. Instead, the ghostly lady he once feared now didn’t scare him at all; in fact, he hoped she’d appear in his dreams.

“Who is it you want to see, my dear disciple? It seems you’ve reached the age where your heart stirs,” Hao’er the Immortal appeared before him, smiling slyly.

“Master!” Chang Yu greeted.

“Call me Revered Master. It sounds much more pleasant,” Hao’er stroked his long beard, playing the part of a lofty sage.

“Re... Revered Master!” Chang Yu looked at his master with an odd expression, obediently complying. He suddenly realized his master might be quite vain—perhaps the sort who loves flattery? Why else insist on being called ‘Revered Master’?

Suppressing his complaints, Chang Yu eagerly asked, “Last night, I had a dream. When I woke, I found I’d brought something from the dream into reality. Do you know why that is?”

Hao’er paused, hand on beard, looking surprised. “Brought something from a dream into reality? You’re not talking nonsense, are you?”

“Huh? You don’t know about this? I thought it was an ability I gained after cultivating the Poria Heart Sutra you taught me.”

“Our school’s methods are mysterious, but not to that extent,” Hao’er explained patiently. “Dreams are illusions—how could you bring dream objects into the real world? In all my years, I’ve never heard of any practice that can achieve that.”

Chang Yu felt as if spring had arrived in his life. He believed it must be because he’d always lived with integrity and kindness that heaven had finally smiled upon him. If this ability didn’t come from Hao’er’s Poria Heart Sutra, what else could explain it? It must mean that this power was innate to him, unrelated to the sect’s techniques.

From his very first encounter with Hao’er in a dream, to accidentally bringing the golden hairpin back from that dream, everything indicated he possessed a special ability intimately connected to his dreams. You could call it a superpower, or a talent—whatever the name, it belonged to Chang Yu alone. Only he could wield it.

Before discovering this gift, Chang Yu was just a little man, forever anxious about money. But now? He didn’t need to worry at all. All he had to do was dream a few more times like last night. Not just Ming dynasty hairpins—even those from the Song or Tang dynasties would be his for the taking. With antique treasures like that to sell, how could fortune not flow his way?

Chang Yu was already daydreaming about rolling atop a bed made of stacks and stacks of cash.

“Hehehe.” The thought made him laugh foolishly, a smile both wild and a touch indecent.

Reining in his excitement, Chang Yu pressed on with his second question: “Master, you once told me you lived in the Eastern Continent. You weren’t deceiving me, were you?”

Hao’er was briefly taken aback, then chuckled, “Why would I lie? What’s so strange about living in the Eastern Continent? The Poria Valley at Mount Qiyun is a famous blessed land—even in the Eastern Continent, it’s well known. If you ask around a little, you’ll find it. There’s no reason for me to deceive you.”

He spoke so naturally, with no trace of falsehood, that Chang Yu was left confused.

“Could the Eastern Continent really exist? Could the Poria Valley be real as well?” Doubt began to gnaw at Chang Yu.

“But that’s the birthplace of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong!” In his agitation, Chang Yu blurted out his question without thinking.

To his surprise, Hao’er shot him a look full of approval. “I didn’t expect you to be so familiar with ancient history! Yes, the Monkey King was indeed born of a magical stone in the Eastern Continent. That is Sun Wukong’s birthplace.”

Now it was Chang Yu’s turn to feel utterly bewildered.

Wasn’t Journey to the West just a novel written by Wu Cheng’en? What did he mean by “ancient history”?

After pondering for a long moment, Chang Yu tentatively asked, “Master, are you familiar with Journey to the West? I’m guessing you must have read it often.”